Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony, Pathétique, has been interpreted variously as a suicide note, a requiem for a friend, and a meditation on life and fate. The title suggests emotion tinged with suffering. The Russian Orthodox requiem makes a brief but conspicuous appearance in the first movement. The final movement, unlike many of the composer’s other works which end in pomp and celebration, ends in somber softness, suggesting the final dimming of the light and life-force. It is moving, powerful, and heart-breaking. We also feature TSO Concertmaster Zsolt Eder and principal cellist Eman Chalshotori for Brahms’s beautiful Double Concerto for Cello and Violin.